


The Wars Go On With Brainwashed Pride

by Tortellini



Category: A Separate Peace - John Knowles
Genre: Angst, Canon Compliant, Friendship, Friendship/Love, Heavy Angst, Hurt/Comfort, Light Angst, Loyalty, M/M, Major Character Injury, Male Friendship, Recruitment, Serious, Soldiers, Teenagers, War, Wordcount: 500-1.000, World War II
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-04-19
Updated: 2017-04-19
Packaged: 2018-10-20 14:58:56
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 970
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/10665054
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Tortellini/pseuds/Tortellini
Summary: Finny and Gene have a solemn conversation with a recruitment soldier. It doesn't really go as well as Finny would've liked.Oneshot





	The Wars Go On With Brainwashed Pride

Soldiers lined the stone walls of Devon. Gene Forrester slouched down where he was standing, with his hands in his pockets. He had a feeling this was going to end badly. His best friend Finny however leaned heavily on him to try and see over the crowd of boys, while trying not to put too much weight on his hurt leg.

Finny looked like the happiest guy in the world. His cheeks were flushed, his eyes were bright, from pure excitement. He gripped Gene's shoulder as he balanced himself and Gene winced slightly.

"I can see them!" Finny said excitedly. He was taller than Gene. "Can you see them?"

Gene stretched to try and see. "A little," he admitted.

"Aren't they grand?" Finny said dreamily. Gene pursed his lips and then nodded.

"I suppose so."

Finny stood up straight suddenly. "I have to talk to one about enlisting. Come with me. We can do it together!"

Gene hesitated. He didn't particularly want to enlist--at least not that very second in the middle of school like this. He and all the other guys his age planned to eventually. But he looked at Phineas' excited apprehensive face, and he nodded. There was no one he'd rather have next to him in battle.

Gene couldn't help but worry about Finny's shattered leg. Would any army take him? Would they even want him with such an affecting injury?

"Thanks, pal. I knew you'd do it with me!" Finny said brightly, oblivious to Gene's thoughts. He limped heavily, leaning on a cane, to where army officers were talking briskly to students. Gene sighed softly and followed.

 

"Sir!" Finny saluted the man, straight-faced and solemn. Gene did the same and he was reminded of when they, along with their other friends Brink and Leper, would mock Hitler in their frat house..

The officer looked coolly at the two boys. "At ease, gentlemen." They relaxed, and Finny shifted his weight off of his bad leg. The officer's eyes were immediately drawn to his injury.

"What happened to your leg, young man?"

Finny lifted his chin. "I was in an accident, sir. I was training for the war, and I... well, I fell out of a tree." He smiled a little, and it was funny the way he said it but Gene shifted uncomfortably next to him. "But you see, sir, I've been talking to people about enlisting--I don't care where I go, as long as I'm helping my country."

The officer smiled wanly. "Honorable."

"Phineas is the best around." Gene spoke up quietly, and he surprised himself by actually speaking. Finny beamed at him. "He'd make a good soldier."

"And you, young man?" The officer was looking at him now.

"Oh...uh, I was planning to finish-"

"Gene here is my best friend. We want to enlist together." Finny interrupted confidently, placing a hand on his shoulder. Gene just found himself nodding.

"Honorable." the officer repeated, satisfied. "We need more eager fellows like yourselves." He looked at Finny. "You said you talked to people about enlisting?" Finny nodded. "Well, what's stopping you?"

"My leg, sir. It's almost healed but the gentlemen that I've talked to won't take me, even when it does. I'm not giving up though," he added, his warm eyes twinkling; and Gene remembered then sort of bittersweet, when he told that exact same thing to him. "Someone will take me, I'm sure. And...well, sir, I was hoping it'd be you."

"You broke your leg falling out of a tree?" the officer asked.

"Yessir, we were practicing. Jumping from the troopship that's just been torpedoed and the like..."

"How bad was the break?"

Finny paused and swallowed. He knew where this was going. Gene did too. When he spoke again, his voice was soft. "It shattered, sir. But-but it's almost healed! The doc says as long as I don't break it again before it heals, I'll be fine!"

The officer shook his head, his face softening slightly. "I'm sorry, son, but if your leg was broken that seriously, the army has no use for you."

Finny's face blanched. It was his worst fear. Gene spoke up quickly. "But sir, even if he couldn't fight, couldn't he...I don't know, be a navigator? Or a cook? Or something like that, still in the effort but not fighting?"

To his credit, Finny didn't voice his complaints. But Gene knew what he really wanted to do was actually fight for his country, not be a cook for the fighters. The officer stared at Gene a long time, before sighing.

"Write to me, young man-"

"Phineas, sir."

"Phineas. Write to me, and I'll see what I can do." he sighed again and then patted Finny on the back. "Good luck."

Finny didn't smile but he nodded politely and saluted.

"What about you, young man?" the officer looked at Gene. "You look healthy and you don't have any damned broken limbs, now, do you?"

"Well, sir, the truth is..." The truth is, damn his school. Damn Phineas and his plans and his perfectness--Gene would enlist! He opened his mouth when he saw him. Finny, hobbling across the grounds next to their other friend Brinker, his head down and his shoulders slumped...and his cane. The whole fact that he'd never be able to even enlist was entirely Gene's fault.

"Sir, the truth is, I'm not going without him. He's my best friend. And I promised him I'd only enlist with him." Gene said firmly.

The officer nodded. "Well, you might not get a chance to. An injury like that... well, I'll see what I can do, but it sure is a shame.."

They both got quiet and watched Finny arrive at the building in the far distance. Gene shuddered slightly.

"It sure is." he said quietly.


End file.
